The invention relates to a tripod head having an inclination apparatus with a universal joint, which exhibits a ball joint that is mounted so that it can swivel in a bearing housing and accommodated between two slide bearings in a bearing housing, of which one of the slide bearings is mounted in the bearing housing so that it can shift axially in the spacing direction of the slide bearings, wherein the universal joint is arranged between connecting points situated at ends of the tripod head facing away from each other, of which one is or can be connected with a camera, a spotting scope, a pair of binoculars or similar optical instrument, and the other is or can be connected with at least one tripod leg or similar holder.
For example, such an inclination unit is known from German Patent Application 10 2007 001 580 A1. However, the axially shifting slide bearing is here only supported at one location by a conical pin. The small supporting surface keeps the force with which the slide bearing can be pressed against the universal joint correspondingly low. This results in an only slight overall load-bearing capacity for the entire tripod head. In addition, the unilateral exposure to force generates a tilting moment, which can cause the slide bearing in the bearing housing to jam, thereby potentially damaging the bearing housing or the slide bearing.
Previously known from EP 1 473 510 A1 is a tripod head having a cylindrical bearing housing, which incorporates a ball joint that can rotate and swivel therein. The bearing housing of the previously known tripod head also incorporates a bearing element that can axially shift and rotate therein, which exhibits a sliding surface that abuts the circumference of the ball joint. The bearing element has allocated to it a support that is actively connected with a final control element in such a way that the bearing element can be shifted against the ball joint to achieve the clamping action. This final control element has circular arc units connected with each other via an adjusting screw, wherein the adjusting screw has oppositely threaded segments in the area of the units. These units are provided with mutually parallel inclined surfaces, which interact with a complementary counter-inclination on the face of the support facing away from the ball joint. Additional tripod heads with inclination apparatuses are also known from FR 2 799 807 A and US 2007/147829 A1.
The inclinations and counter-inclinations provided in the tripod head previously known from EP 1 473 510 A1 must overcome high frictional forces in order to transform the relative motion of the units relative to each other as imparted by the adjusting screw into an axial adjusting motion of the support and bearing element located thereon in the clamping direction to the ball joint. The high frictional forces make it virtually impossible to expose the ball joints to the clamping forces that would be required to securely clamp a ball joint under a heavy load. Therefore, the tripod head previously known from EP 1 473 510 A1 is less well suitable for heavy cameras or similar optical devices.
Also disadvantageous is that comparatively high frictional forces must be overcome to loosen the clamped connection between the ball joint and bearing element and move the units into their initial position for this purpose.
Already previously known from DE 27 47 677 A1 is a tripod head with an exchangeable plate, to which a camera, a spotting scope, a pair of binoculars or similar optical device can be attached. This exchangeable plate has allocated to it a base, which can be secured to a tripod or similar supporting frame. The base is provided with a dovetail guide with a guide rail for shiftably mounting the exchangeable plate and a clamping device that can move relative to the base for securing the exchangeable plate in the guide rail. The clamping device can be designed as a pivoted lever, which can be turned between an open position that releases the exchangeable plate for removal and a closed position, wherein the exchangeable plate is accommodated so that it can shift in the guide in this closed position. While the pivoted lever releases the recess in the base intended for the exchangeable plate in its open position, the exchangeable plate is blocked in the closed position of the pivoted lever of the base. Since the exchangeable plate is still secured in the base in the open position, and the pivoted lever must still be turned to secure the exchangeable plate in the base, the previously known tripod head is cumbersome for a single person to operate, especially if this person wishes to attach a heavy optical device to the tripod head previously known from DE 27 47 677 A1. Exchangeable plates for tripod heads are also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,462 and EP 1 365 187 A1, wherein the exchangeable plate is provided with a safeguard, but the latter threatens to spontaneously open under a load if the clamping device situated there tilts, making this tripod head only conditionally suitable for a rapid exchange of the optical instrument on the tripod.